James h



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

.I AMES H. REINHARDT, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNCR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE REINHARDT NUMBERING MACHINE COMPANY.

CONSECUTlVE-NUMBERING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353.711, dated December 7, 1886.

Application filed August 24, 1885. Serial No. 175,171. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMEs H. REINHARDT, of Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Consecutive-Numbering Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters'of reference marked thereon, making a part of this speciiication.

Figurel is a plan' view of one of my improved machines constructed for numbering consecutively ten tickets Vat one impression; Fig. 2, a view in perspective of the swinging pawl-frame by which the numbering-wheels are actuated,showing,however,only a portion of its pawls, and illustrating one of the xed numbering-plates of the device in position; Fig. 3, a transverse section in line :v x of Fig. 1 illustrating the slot and pin by which the frame is actuated; Fig. 4L, a transverse section in line y y of Fig. l, illustrating the action of the pawls carried by the swinging frame; Fig. 5, a longitudinal section through one section ofthe machine with its numbering-wheels removed, illustratingthe combination of the actuatingplunger with the swinging frame; Fig. 6, an elevation of one of the fixed numberingplates detached; and Fig. 7 a transverse section in line z z of Fig. 6, but showing a different attachment of the type to the plate; Fig. 8, a horizontal section in line w w of Fig. 3, illustrating the device by which the movement of the plunger is made to oscillate the swinging pawl-frame.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of consecutivenumbering machines for which Letters Patent of the United States were granted to Reinhardt and Ellis, bearing date May 26, 1885, No. 318,803, and has for its object to facilitate the printing of successive sets of consecutively-numbered cards, checks, or tickets at one impression, the numbers being changed automatically after each impression, so that each set printed shall bear consecutive numbers, following in regular order the numbers of the preceding set,whereby,for example, a sheet of one hundred cards may be printed Aat one impression, and consecutively numbered at the same impression withgures 5o from l to 100, and at the next movement of the press for printing the second sheet the Acards thereon will be consecutively numbered from 101 to 200, thenext sheet from 201 to 300, and

so on, the change in the numbering-wheels being produced automatically after each impression.

As my invention is designed especially for the rapid printing of large quantities of consecutively-numbered checks or tickets,it will 6o doubtless be found expedient to construct machines each having ten sets of wheels to 'facilitate the arrangement oi' ten of them in a press for printing as one impression one hundred separate checks or tickets, and I have illustrated this form of construction in Fig. l. t

My invention is applicable, however, to small machines including one set of wheels only, the desired result of printing simultaneously a considerable number of the separate checks or 7o tickets by a single impression being obtained by placing in proper order in a single form any desired number of these single machines.

Each machine is in its general features constructed substantially as is described in my aforesaid Letters Patent of May 26, 1885--viz., of a seriesof two, three, or more typewheels,

A A A, revolving side by side upon an axial shaft, B, the face of each wheel on one side being fitted with a ratchet, c, (see Fig. 4,) and 8o its opposite face with a circular flange or offset, d, whose diameter corresponds to the extreme diameter of the ratchet -wheel, so that' when the wheels are placed side by side with the Bange on one in proximity to the ratchet of the other, apawhVV, dropped between them, shall ride upon the flange until permitted by a notch cut therein to fall into engagement with the adjoining ratchet. The pawls W W, which thus severally actuatc the ratchets on 9o one wheel, when permitted by a notch in the flange of the next, are secured to a single 1ongitudinal rod, E`l(see Figs. 2 and 4,) in a swing ing frame, E E E, pivoted upon the shaft B, and vibrating under the wheels AA. This swinging frame is made to vibrate by means of a springseated plunger, G, mounted at one end of the series of wheels in a suitable case, H. (See Fig. 5.) A transverse or radial slot, q, is cut in the end piece, E', of the frame (see Fig. 2, and dotted lines, Fig. 3) in register with' a curved slot, r, in the iixed partition T, which separates this end plate, E', of the swinging frame from the plunger G. A lever, m, is pivoted to the inner side of the partition T, next to the plunger, to extend horizontally across the slot r therein, and its opposite face is also pivoted at a short distance from its fulcrum-point or pivot to theplun ger, as shown in Fig. 8. A pin, f, is made to project from the free end ot' this lever m through the two slots q and r. As the end of the lever between the pin f and the pivotal connection of the lever to the plunger is longer than the portion between said pin and the pivotal fulcrum of the lever, a comparatively slight movement of the plunger will operate to produce an extended movement of the pin f, and conse` quently of the swinging plate E and frame E E. Areverse movement of the several wheels is prevented by stationary pawls or detents s s, pivoted to the case on the opposite side ofthe pawls W W, as shown in Fig. 4. By pressing down the plunger G the swinging frame E E is carried forward, so that its pawls XV W shall ride over the ratchets far enough to turn, upon the return movement of the frame, the wheels whose ratchets they may engage the distance required to make a single change of the type thereon in reference to the line of print, this return movement being produced by the upward stroke of the plunger.

In my present invention I iix at the left hand of each series of wheels, whether it be but a single series (see Fig. 5) or a number of series mounted together in a single extended case, (see Fig. 1,) a transverse plate, K, upon whose upper surface are formed or fitted one ormore types indicating the unit or right-hand figure or iigures of the numbers to be printed on the checks. Where several series of numbering-wheels are combined in one machine these stationary gures are made to represent consecutive numbers in order from left to right upon the several transverse plates, K K-as, for example, 10, 20, 30, 40, &e., (see Fig. 1)- and where a number of separate single Inaehines are employed for the simultaneous printing of a number of cheeks, the left-band plate in each is provided with a different digital number, so that in use the machine may be arranged as required to present a series of different fixed consecutive numbers from left to right, one of the xed numbers being on the left of each series of numbering-wheels. rlhe type upon these fixed transverse plates K may be either eastin one with the plate or be made detachable therefrom,either by means of a plate, i, made to slide into a transverse dovetailed slot in the top of the plate K, (see Figs. Zand 6,) or as loose type t, to be inserted andlocked in a recess or socket formed to receive them in the top of the plate, (see Fig. 7,) or in such other manner as will suggest itself to a skilled artisan.

YVhere several series of numbering-wheels are combined in one machine, as illustrated in Fig. l, the bottom edge ol` the fixed numbering-plate K is recessed, (secu at n, Fig. 6,) to permit the longitudinal lower bar, E, ofthe frame to extend and vibrate freely under the plate. (See Fig. 2.) The long swinging frame E E E is stiffened by means of transverse plates L L, (see Fig. 2,) which are Vadapted to iit one within each compartment of the machine.

The fixed numbering-plates K K, against which the swinging transverse plate plays, are recessed each on its lateral face to receive the thickness ofthe adjacent plate L, (see Figs. 6 and 7, and dotted lines Fig. 1,) and thereby permit the spacing between the type on the iixed plate K and those on the numbering wheelsAAto beuniform. Theswinging frame E E is made to oscillate bythe plungers G G, mounted at each end of the case, which operate in unison when the platen of the press strikes them as it drops to producean impression from the form of type in the press.

In the use ofmy machinaif it be desired to print simultaneously at each movement ofthe press one hundred consecutively-numbered cards, the cards printed at each impression to follow in regular order of numeration those printed at the preceeding impression,one hundred single machines,which bearseverally each upon its fixed numberingplate two tigures embracing all the numbers running from 1 to 100, are arranged in order, a cipher being placed at the left of each single digit, so that the numbers in the iixed plates shall be consecutive; or, preferably, ten ten-section machines (see Fig, l) are arranged, the

first bearing numbers on its iixed plates from f l to 10, the second from 1l to 20, the third from 21 to 30, and so on, so that the numbers on all ofthe one hundred fixed plates shall fall in consecutive order, the last iixed plate bearing simply 00. The numbering-wheels aie then all turned to 0, excepting the last in the entire series, which is turned to 1. At the first impression the numbers on the fixed plates K K will be printed severally on the IOO A IIO one hundred cards, with ciphers to the left of them, so that the iirst card shall be numbered 000001, and the last 000100. Uponthe release of the plungers G G fi om the pressure of the plates, they will operate as they are thrown up by the action of their springs to oscillate the swinging frame E E, and thereby move the first wheel in each series from 0 to 1, excepting the wheel in the last, which being al# ready at 1 moves to 2, and at the next impression the cards will each be printed with the figure 1, from the rst wheel to the leftof the numbers on each iixed plate, excepting the last, which will be printed with the Ligure 2; hence the first card will at the second impression be printed with 01 from the iixed plate, and with l to the left from the numbering- Wheel, making 101. The second card will be printed with 102, the tenth with 110, and the one hundredth with 200.

I claim as my invention l. The combination, in a consecutive-numbering machine, With two or more sets of numbering-wheels rotating upon a common axial shaft, of a iXed partitiouplate at the right of each set of Wheels, each bearing upon its upper surface one or more stationary type in line of print, to produce, in connection with the type upon the Wheels to the left, the first or lefthand igures in a number completed by the movable type on the Wheels, substantially in the manner and for the purpose .herein set forth.

2. The combination, in a consecutive-num` bering machine,Wit-l1 itsswingingpawl frame, mechanism, substantiallyras described, for oscillating said frame,pawls carried by the frame, and two or more sets of numberingwheels rotating upouacomnion axial shaft and actuated by said pawls, of partition-plates Vfixed at the right ofcach set ofwheels,each bearing upon its upper surface one or more stationary types in line of print with the uppermost type on the Wheel, and each perforated to allow the shaft to extend through it, and recessed upon its lower side to permitofthe play of the swinging frame under it, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination, in a consecutive-numbering machine, Withits swinging-pawl frame, its plunger, and with registering intersecting slots in the end plate of the swinging frame, and in the adjacent fixed partition-plate separating it from the plunger, of a lever pivoted at one end to said partition-plate and at the other to the plunger, and an intermediate pin projecting from the lever through the two slots, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES H. REINHARDT. T'Vitnesses: y

P. ELBERT Nos'rRAND, A. B. MOORE. 

